The Right Way To Watch Every Terminator Movie In Order

The best way to watch the "Terminator" movies is in the order they came out. Enjoying them this way allows audiences to recognize two things: how the franchise evolved, from both a narrative and a spectacle perspective, and how to understand the convoluted timeline in a more digestible manner. Eventually, the movies diverge into different timelines and even attempt to retcon previous entries in the series, rendering some moot.

• "The Terminator" (1984)
• "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)
• "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003)
• "Terminator Salvation" (2009)
• "Terminator Genisys" (2015)
• "Terminator: Dark Fate" (2019)

While "The Terminator" and "Judgment Day" are widely heralded as some of the best sci-fi flicks of all time, the same can't be said for the sequels. "Rise of the Machines" is an interesting follow-up in that it features an adult John Connor (Nick Stahl), but after that, things get a bit murky plot- and timelines-wise.

McG's "Salvation," which bombed at the box office, focuses on John Connor's (Christian Bale) efforts to destroy Skynet. It is considered a reboot of sorts and was made without the involvement of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Meanwhile, "Genisys" follows an altered timeline that plays with "The Terminator" — a clear example of the legacy sequel — and "Dark Fate" ultimately retcons everything after the first two movies, serving as the definitive third chapter in the franchise.